Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili
UFC 333 · October 24, 2026 · Etihad Arena · Main Card 2:00 PM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Championship trilogy rubber match
- Finish likelihood
- Low
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Bantamweight · Title fight · Main Card
The read
Yan's adjustments in the second fight suggest he has found real answers for Dvalishvili's pace and volume, and champions who have already solved a problem once tend to do it again.
Dvalishvili's own relentlessness and gas tank make him dangerous across five rounds regardless of the game plan, keeping this competitive until the final horn either way.
The matchup
This trilogy has swung once in each direction, and the rubber match settles it.
Dvalishvili's takedown volume and pace were too much for Yan the first time, but Yan solved the puzzle in the rematch with sharper counters and fight IQ.
Both men know exactly what the other brings, which makes preparation and adjustments the biggest variable in a fight that has already gone the distance twice.
Tale of the tape
| 20-5 | Record | 21-5 |
| 33 | Age | 35 |
| 5'7" | Height | 5'6" |
| 67" | Reach | 68" |
| — | Stance | — |
| Russia | Country | Georgia |
| — | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Petr Yan 20-5
“No Mercy”
Petr 'No Mercy' Yan is the reigning two-time UFC bantamweight champion, a Russian striker whose sharp boxing and fight IQ have carried him back to the title twice. He reclaimed the belt from Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at UFC 323 in December 2025, avenging his lopsided 2023 loss to the same opponent, and now closes out the trilogy in Abu Dhabi.
- WMerab Dvalishvili · Decision (unanimous)UFC 323 · December 6, 2025
Merab Dvalishvili 21-5
“The Machine”
Merab 'The Machine' Dvalishvili is a former two-time UFC bantamweight champion from Georgia known for a relentless pace and takedown volume that few in the division can match. He lost the belt back to Petr Yan by unanimous decision at UFC 323 in December 2025, the second meeting of their trilogy after Dvalishvili's own lopsided win in 2023, and now gets the rubber match for the title.
- LPetr Yan · Decision (unanimous)UFC 323 · December 6, 2025